Near the forest of the same name, in the south west of Endon, is Callidan Henge: the most unusual of the Henges. It occasionally plays host to some druidic celebration – as it is a forest henge, and druids are like that sometimes – but lies mostly empty and forgotten. It does not act as a gateway from Endon, and is unlike the other Henges in that magic does not flow from it, but to it. 

Callidan Henge is a part of a pair, a diade of power: its twin, Greenmarsh Henge, some hundred miles to the north-northeast, sends pilgrims into the mists of the past, and Callidan Henge returns them. It remains incapable to this day of sending people into their relative future, but will only negate the effect of Greenmarsh Henge, and even then only on the summer solstice, during the longest day of the year. 

A Way Back

Few travellers in recorded history have fallen victim to the lodestone at Greenmarsh Henge – and even fewer have been believed. It is the official stance of the University of Talbot that the Henges have no magical power whatsoever, and they decry any attempt to say otherwise. But the knowledge of the function of the two Henges come directly from the masters of the pair: the giant that greets the victims at Greenmarsh Henge, and the giant that sends them back at Callidan Henge. 

If a traveller places their hand on the lodestone at Callidan Henge while the sun is in the sky on the summer solstice, the lodestone will deposit them at Greenmarsh Henge at the exact time that they left. This has led the uninitiated – generally druids – to believe that the Henge does indeed lead to a different place, but anyone who touches the stone on the summer solstice that has not travelled backwards in time will merely be thrown bodily out of the circle by the force of the magic. 

The Giant of Callidan Forest

Similarly to Greenmarsh Henge, this Henge has a guardian: a giant who lives in the foothills of the Greenmounts in the forest, and ventures every year to Callidan Henge to instruct and guide any travellers that need to pass through the circle. Unlike their counterpart at Greenmarsh, they do not take part in any festival, and actively discourage any event from taking place at the Henge on the summer solstice, which, historically, has upset the druidic population in that part of Endon. 

The giant also rids the Henge of whatever creatures it has attracted over the course of the year, in preparation for the return journey. Otherwise, the Henge acts as a magical magnet for creatures who subsist on magical energies, drawn by its pull.

Hengekeeper's Abode

Traditionally, according to an old agreement forged between the locals and the giant, the Henge was to have a constant presence to guard it and maintain it, much like the cryptkeepers at Greenmarsh Henge. Over time, however, the locals were driven away by the steady tide of creatures drawn to the Henge, and eventually even the most committed of the keepers left. 

Now, the only remnant of their time on the duty is the Hengekeeper’s Abode, a small dwelling carved into the side of the Giant’s Bowl. It is a dry shelter for travellers, though it may be prudent to check whether it is empty before seeking safety there.